Newcastle Still Need Several New Players

After yesterday’s very satisfying win and a good 3 points to start the season it would be a good time to reflect on what Newcastle need now to complete their squad rebuilding before the end of August.

Obviously the players that Sam has already brought in appear to be first class not least of which because they have the experience to last out a game like we did in the second half yesterday – and not panic when things get tough.

Here’s some points we think Sam may be pondering with his squad.

Nobby Solano – better proposition at right-back than Carr?

Here are the points we feel deserve some thought before the end of the transfer window:

Kieron Dyer just doesn’t fit at Newcastle any more. The last thing Sam wants in his squad is a moaner who simply becomes a drag on the spirit of the side. While saying that would be a little harsh on Kieron he nevertheless is not well endowed with passion and dedication for Newcastle. Sell him to West Ham United and get his â‚¤80K/week wages offÂ the books.

With Albert Luque either send him out on loan for a year (our preference), sell him with a sell-on clause, or sell him now to Levante or whoever else comes in for him. That will get another high wage earner off the books and will allow Sam to being in replacements before the end of August.

We are hoping that Nobby Solano still wants to stay at Newcastle and if that’s so we think Nobby would be better at right back than Carr. Stephen has played well this season but his lack of speed is a weakness in our back four. We think that until we bring in a new right back, if Solano doesn’t start in mid-field let’s use him at right back where he has lots of experience as he showed last year.

Bring in some new players before the end of the transfer window:

We need a new right back since with Enrique and N’Zogbia there is good cover now at left back. We thought Charles was outstanding again yesterday and what a goal! He deserves great credit for buckling down and letting his football do the talking â€“ well done Charlie.

Since it looks like Drago is probably not coming to Newcastle we need another defender in addition to a right back. Somebody who is flexible and can play across the back four would be a good acquisition. We assume we can can still get Edmilson into the club during January so the new player doesn’t have to be a center-back since we now have Taylor, Rozehnal, Cacapa and Ramage for that position.

The icing on the cake for the squad would be a play making central midfield player such as Deco or Requiem. This would help to open up opposing defenses because it looks like we have a wealth of goalscorers in the squad now. If we hadn’t put the brakes on yesterday in the second half we could have scored more than three times.

If we lose Dyer and Luque and bring in three players above, we may still be a little short on numbers â€“ but because what Sam is doing is obviously working,Â let’s ensure he gets backing through August to bring in the players he wants.

33 comments so far

but we still have to remember that joet barton will be coming back into the squad and if we are going to play 4-3-3 where will this playmaker fit in i think our best formation is this (when all players are fit)

Sean – I like Dimitri Payet a lot . After yesterday’s performance it looks like our squad is quite strong now – so my point was let’s support Sam and if players are to move out (Dyer, Luque etc) let’s make sure we bring cover in for them – the last thing we need is a squad that’s again too small. Hey – no injuries yesterday – which is great by the way.

Moving on Dyer will prove to be difficult: He’ll never be able to pass a medical. To date the press have been very circumspect about the full reasons for this. The fact that West Ham seemed willing to take him on, suggests we missed an opportunity there.

Luque: Good idea to get rid ASAP with a sell on clause, as you have suggested

Nobby: He is no real replacement for Carr at full back. Carr is far faster around the field than Nobby ever was, and that is saying something. Nobby’s reading of the game and positional sense is far better than Carr, but that will not be enough to see us through the season. We need two specialist right backs. Maybe one with Cacapa being cover

The defence does look thin in terms of real depth of cover, though that is something we may just have to live with. We actually have the numbers, just not the quality of back up.

At this moment in time I would try and bed in the new defenders and not worry too much about midfield yet. Missing from our midfield yesterday were Emre / Barton / Duff and don’t fogert N’Zogbia who should be playing there full time. Sorry to say it, but you just can’t see Nobby getting a run out in this new high energy three across the middle we seem to be playing.

I have already said it would be so much more beneficial for us to bring in experienced seasonal but slightly aged stars in the guise of Thuram, Cordoba, Ayala, Salgado etc. For one or two season contracts. This is ideal for us, literally the perfect solution. Because this season we will not attract any players of international reputation with no european football to offer. However, if we sign aged big names, not only will it add a huge glamour and appeal to the club, it would also vastly educate the likes of roz and taylor. Couple this with the fact that Sam is an expert on producing form from this kind of players. As for the playmaker, think Juninho of Lyon is the best there is that would be realistic for us. This season, we need to bring in big players which have aged. Nedved is 33 but could still provide worldclass football for one or two seasons before being replaced with suitable up and coming talent when NUFC have proven stability and shown credential.

Well, i will remind u that Sam has stated that he will use different formations and not just the 4-3-3 we started with yesterday. So if ur going to do a formation make both a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-2 which are the ones we used in pre-season, they should look something like this imo:

For this formation i added i new right winger, a new right back with Zaccardo the most realistic and a new left back as i think Enrique should be eased in and a player of Heinze’s age would be nice there, as the end of the transfer window comes nearer i think this might be realistic.

After yesterday i dont think we need many more new signings.1 new rightback is a must but in midfield we could use either Emre or nobby as a playmaker.Dont forget there was a few quality players missing against Bolton.when everybody is injury free and in top condition then yesterday proved that we can match anybody in the premiership.

Im getting bored of saying Riquelme now. He is so easily the most obvious choice – AND he’s back at Villareal, well, in his own words, back there “training”. He does not get on with their manager and you can sense from his words he wants to move from Villiareal.

The only down side to Riquelme is that he is moody and a bit of a prima donna and will throw his toys out of his pram at some point – but then, Big Sam can deal with that, so Riquelme has to be a target.

Failing that, my other choice would be Van Der Vaart, then Deco, then Kallstrom, then Aquilani.

We desperately need a new right back, Carr is hopeless. He ran after Anelka yesterday when 1, he has no pace and would never have caught him, 2, all he needed to was look at the player playing the ball through and step up and 3, read the game better and make the right decision – he rarely does.

Carr will cost us more goals, without a doubt, and needs hoyin’ oot.

Perhaps Cacapa will play at right back, which will allow Taylor and Rozenhal to continue at the back. However, we still need another centre back.

Not sure about this need for a playmaker at the moment. Sam seems to like a high energy pressing game. I was impressed with Milner, Butt and Smithyesterday and the amount of work they got through at high speed. Not sure that there is time for a continental fancy dan to put his foot on the ball and pick a perfect pass. Maybe next when we are in the Champions League?

For this year I think energy, strength, work rate and commitment are what is needed and could be why Luque and Dyer are on the way out (shame about Luque though).

Altougth we will all would love to see a midfield playmaker in our midfield, that just isn’t what we need right now. I was a bit sceptical about smith’s signing but i believe he may be just as important signing as viduka this term. Remember that we will have a new defence this term, that will need the protection of a hard working midfield. Gone are the days of jenas/dyer/parker, who worked hard but didn’t do enough, not only are smith/geremi/barton/butt hard working midfielders, but they have that addition quailty to produce something out of nothing and won’t crumble under pressure like their predecessors quite possibly would of done in the second half yesterday. We’ve got a quality team throughout the park. The only thing we need to improve on is getting a rightback, more than that, a specialised/natural rightback. Solano and even geremi are capable of playing there but there is always going to be something lacking. What will bring us success this term…..CONSISTANCY! We can mix it with the best of them but we will struggle if we nick a win or a point of the top teams and then lose the following week to a poor side.

I think our main concern at the minute which you rightly pointed out Ed is a right back and possible another centre back. In an Ideal world we would get Micah Richards but unfortunately there is no hope in hell of that happening ha ha. However I think even if we lost the players that our alledgedly going our midfield is still very strong I mean for attacking midfielders we have (Emre, (Possibly Smith) , Barton , Charles Nzogbia can play centre) , Defensive midfielders we have ( Butt, Geremi, (Possibly smith again), barton may do a job there as well) I think if we get rid of Solano we will need cover on right For Milner. I think left mid and defence seem covered now, as well as Strikers, We have good goal keepers although I don’t think it was a good Idea to lend out Krul but he is getting some valuable first team exp I suppose, what does everyone else think?

I said 3-0 to Newcastle and but for Carr being too slow it would have happened although Viduka didn’t get a hat trick. Still Oba nearly did. Lyon have or had a RB by the name of Clerc who would more than do a good job for us if he is available, he didn’t feature in their first game so he might be.

Yeah, anyone who ownes a pair of football-shoes would be better option at right back… As for Solano, I dont think he fits in anymore and its probably the best for both parts that he moves on. Fantastic 1st half yesterday, btw.

Bobakajones – if it is the Portuguese Miguel you are talking about he’s certainly quick, good going forward and has some experience but might be a bit short and light if Sam insists on his full backs having some physical presence (like Enrique).

Just watched Reading and Man U draw and although Reading we full of fight and determination I thought Shorey made a few blunders and I lost a bit of faith in him.

I think the best idea would be just to stop the season now with the league table just as it is now that everyone has played the same number of games!

Arne Friedrich for RB. Miguel or Zaccardo are good right backs but simply do not have the physical presence that Friedrich has. Overall Friechdrich is the better RB and would be available for much cheaper than Zaccardo or Miguel.

I think that when everyone’s fit, we don’t need any signings, at least until January. Midfield is already overflooded. Zogbia won’t be happy playing at left back for long, he doesn’t have the reading of a defender either. So he’s another option in the midfield.

n’zogbia should be accommodated into the squad, he is too good to be left out. whether it is on the left wing with milner moving to the right, or given a chance in a central midfield berth, his talent has to be developed at newcastle.

steve K – I think you’re spot on. I was reading elsewhere rumours about Diouf joining as he is dispirited at Bolton after one game (just what we need in the dressing room).

Ok if Dyer and Nobby are going we do need a right sided replacement but I agree that should be Milner with Zog getting the left side. With Barton, Smith, Geremi, Emre, Butt in centre midfiled that is one high-energy very agressive line up – with the forward line we have and defence taking shape (still need R and L full backs I think) – selection can genuinely be made on form rather than availability – so long as everyone stays fit of course.

even now I don’t envy sam the job of keeping everyone happy as obviously not all of them can play in the first team and it looks like it will get worse [or better depending on you being a fan or a player] when sam brings in more players as he has said he will.

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